Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
place on Westray at which to see
pu
ns
nesting - there's even a signpost from the
main road.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
WESTRAY
By plane
You can fly from Kirkwall (Mon-Fri 2 daily, Sat &
Sun 1 daily; 15min) and go on the world's shortest
scheduled flight between Westray and Papa Westray
(Mon-Sat 1 daily; 2min).
By ferry
Westray is served by car ferry from Kirkwall (2-3
daily; 1hr 25min;
T
01856 872044) and there's a passenger
ferry between Pierowall (Westray) and Papa Westray
(Mon-Thurs 6 daily, Fri & Sat 4 daily, 3 on Sun; 25min.
GETTING AROUND
By bus
A
minibus
(May-Sept; at other times phone
T
01857 677758) meets the ferry and connects with the
Papa Westray ferry at Gill Pier in Pierowall; book a seat for
the bus on the ferry.
INFORMATION AND TOURS
Tourist information
W
westraypapawestray.co.uk.
Tours and bike rental
Westraak
T
01857 677777,
W
westraak.co.uk. Guided tours of the island by minibus
can be arranged with Westraak, who will meet you at the
ferry. They also offer bike rental.
15
ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
Ì
The Barn
T
01857 677214,
W
thebarnwestray.
co.uk.
A converted farm hostel at the southern edge of
Pierowall; it's luxurious inside, with family rooms and twin
bunks available, has a small campsite adjacent to it a
nd a
games r
oo
m and genuinely friendly hosts. Dorms
£20
;
camping
£5
/person
No. 1 Broughton
T
01857 677726,
W
no1broughton
.co.uk.
Top-notch, good-value B&B in a renovated mid-
nineteenth-century house with views acr
oss t
he bay, a
lovely conservatory and even a small sauna.
£60
Haf Yok
T
01857 677777
Café in a little shed in Pierowall
itself (opposite the Lady Kirk) owned by the couple who
also run Westraak tour company. Great for soup, toasties
and cakes, with a few tables in a south-facing suntrap.
Mid-May to Sept Mon-Sat 10.30am-5pm, Sun
noon-4pm.
Pierowall Hotel
T
01857 677472,
W
pierowallhotel
.co.uk
. The social hub of Pierowall itself, is unpretentious
and very welcoming - the cheaper rooms have shared
facilities. The
popu
lar bar has excellent fish and chips, fresh
off the boats.
£76
Papa Westray
Across Papa Sound from Westray is the island of
Papa Westray
, known locally as
“Papay”. With a population of around 90, Papay has had to fight hard to keep itself
viable over the last couple of decades, helped by a hefty influx of outsiders. With one
of Orkney's best-preserved Neolithic settlements, and a large nesting sea-bird
population, Papay is worth an overnight stay or a day-trip from its big neighbour.
he northern tip of the island around
North Hill
(157ft) is an RSPB reserve, and
during the breeding season you're asked to keep to the coastal fringe, where razorbill,
guillemot, fulmar, kittiwake and pu
n nest, particularly around Fowl Craig on the
east coast, where you can also view the rare Scottish primrose, which flowers in May
and from July to late September.
Holland House
Central point of the island • Farm buildings always open • Free
Papay's visual focus is
Holland House
, occupying the high central point of the island
and once seat of the local lairds, the Traill family. Visitors can explore the old farm
buildings, including a kiln, a doocot and a horse-powered threshing mill. An old
bothy for single male servants has even been restored and made into a small
museum
,
filled with bygone bits and bobs, from a wooden flea trap to a box bed.
